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From Desert to Oasis by D. J. Herda
Length: 70,000 Words Genre: Non-Fiction: Author's Representative: The Swetky Agency 2150 Balboa Way No. 29 St. George, Utah 84770 435-656-0426
Other Books in the "Backyard Gardening" Series: I.) From Serene to Surreal--New Ponds for a New Outlook on Life II.) From Better to Best--Ornamental Trees and Shrubs in Pots III.) From Hardly to Harvests--Growing Fruit and Vegetables Indoors
The Book in One Sentence: An expert shows how you can add
years to your life and put the health back in your environment through
indoor and outdoor ponds, waterfalls, and streams. Blurb/Logline: Stack a few rocks in a circle. Cover them with fabric. Add water, sit back, and enjoy. From Desert to Oasis makes building your own pond, waterfall, or stream appear just about that easy. It's your everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know guide written by a professional contractor and pond builder, with years of cost-cutting tips, labor-saving suggestions, and free-for-the-taking design elements to help turn your own backyard into a lush oasis of beauty, joy, and elegance. And, as a bonus, you'll feel better, look better, and be healthier for the experience. Why settle for anything less?
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"Best-selling author D. J. Herda started building ponds five years ago as a means of escaping the pressures of mental fatigue and anxiety. Now, in this captivating and informational new book, the former professional contractor guides you from the first steps of pond-building to the last, dishing out a heavy dose of physical and emotional well-being along the way. It's Zen and the art of pond-building, bound to become the definitive guide to building ponds, waterfalls, and streams for years to come. I can't wait to get started on my own backyard pond!" - Don Bacue, International Features Syndicate.
Outline: From Desert to Oasis Zen
and the Art of
Introduction Different pond owners offer insiders’ perspectives into the healthful benefits of water features of different types and different sizes and explain how pond culture has increased the quality of their lives. 1 / Why Ponds? Ponds add tranquility and a sense of purpose to life Ponds add drama and focus to the landscape Ponds raise the value of your property Ponds create an ideal microclimate for growing healthier, more productive plants Ponds entice wildlife, which in turn helps to broaden the ecosystem Ponds off an opportunity to observe, study, and interrelate with wildlife Ponds offer a chance to keep fish and water plants
Thinking like a pond owner The healing power of water Planning for the pond Different types of ponds In-ground Above-ground Container Finding a pond that meets your expectations
3 / Laying the Groundwork Choosing a good site Special needs: ponds for small spaces Shade trees good; leaves, needles, and other debris bad—striking a balance Utilizing your site’s natural terrain Designing the pond Drawing it out Using photographs as landscaping guides Preparing the site for a new pond Removing obstacles to construction
4 / Digging In Preparing the bed for an excavated pond Checking for grade, slope, and drainage Considering pond maintenance issues Dealing with the prospect of leaves, grass clippings, and other nasty debris Running off run-off Creating varying pond depths
5 / Going Up Advantages and disadvantages of above-ground ponds Construction materials Natural Man-made Construction techniques Tips of the trade
6 / What You’ll Need and Where To Get It An annotated list of required pond materials Pond supply stores: A resource guide Building and home supply stores: A resource guide The Internet: A resource guide
Laying the Fabric Placing the Rock and Stone Back-saving tips Using faux rock Installing the pump and filter Shortcuts Testing for leaks and low spots Tips to make life less frustrating Waterfalls, Streams, and Sprays Putting your imagination to use Lights for drama and effect Hard-wired lights Solar-powered lights
8 / Landscaping Your Pond Selecting the best landscape design for you Placing plants, rocks, and other features Water plants Marginal plants Floating plants Maintaining balance Installing a mini-irrigation system The why’s and wherefore’s Some sound advice Adding a timer Bridge over soothing waters Stepping Stones Islands
9 / Stocking Your Pond Testing and adjusting the water Choosing the right tenants Koi and other cold-water fish Tropicals and exotic warm-water fish Mollusks, amphibians, and reptiles Planning ahead for lower maintenance Old Man Winter and you
10 / Pond Maintenance Designing for low maintenance How to do it Cleaning the pond Cleaning the filter Repairing torn liners Feeding and fertilizing fish and plants Algae and how to get rid of it Chemical means Mechanical means Just plain weird means Plant pests and diseases Identifying and treating them Fish diseases Identifying and treating them
11 / Attracting Wildlife to Your Pond Birds Small Mammals Large Mammals Reptiles, amphibians, and mollusks
12 / Turning Your Pond into an Exotic Oasis Growing orchids and other exotica Growing exotic fruits and vegetables Raising exotic pond creatures
A user-friendly Web site where you can ask the author questions, get the author’s answers, and just plain have fun
ii. Bibliography iii. Index
Author's Bio: http://amsaw.org/swetkyagency/meetourauthors-herda.html.
Marketing This Book:
D. J. Herda is Executive Editor of Galleria Eros Writer's Lounge (http://writerslounge.org) and is President of the American Society of Authors and Writers (http://amsaw.org), as well as a member/former member of The Author's Guild, the American Society of Journalists and Authors, and the Washington Press Club and enjoys enormous following and influence within the field of writing and literature, as well as in gardening.
Newspapers: The author has associations with editors at several hundred of the largest daily newspapers in North America, as well as numerous additional
writers/readers/reviewers groups with which he is associated. Magazines
& Trade Publications: The author works with editors of over 400 entertainment
magazines and trade publications, such as American Cinematographer,
Daily Variety, TV Guide, Time Out New York, Rolling Stone, Entertainment
Weekly, Hollywood Reporter, Soap Opera Digest, The New Yorker, Movie Line,
Media Week, Editor & Publisher, Boston Book Review, and Writer's
Digest. Radio: The author has professional connections at more than 650 radio
stations and programs, including ABC Radio Network, USA Radio Network,
Spotlight on the Arts, Inside the Movies, Heart of Hollywood, E!
Entertainment Radio, and Book Talk. Television: The author
periodically consults with more than 350 television networks, stations and programs,
including NBC Television Network, Access Hollywood, CNN showbiz Today, E!
News Daily, Entertainment Tonight, and Fox on Entertainment. News Wires, Syndicates & Databases:
The author has access to direct delivery to newswires and syndicates such
as AP, Reuters, UPI, BLOOMBERG PROFESSIONAL service, Dow Jones, New York
Times Syndicate; and research databases, such as Factiva, Lexis-Nexis, Dialog, Hoover's, Standard & Poor's, and
Edgar Online. |
